KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 ― Choong Hon Jian-Toh Ee Wei, fresh from their mixed doubles triumph at the 2021 Slovenia International badminton championships on May 22, produced an opening-round upset at the 2021 Austrian Open in Graz today.
The unseeded Malaysian pair, both aged 20, stunned eighth seeds Philip Berker-Katharina Hochmeir of Austria 21-11, 21-23, 21-12 to set up an all-Malaysian affair against Muhammad Haikal-Low Yeen Yuan in the second round, according to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) website, bwfbadminton.com.
Haikal-Yeen Yuan defeated France’s Nicolas Hoareau-Laeticia Jaffrennou 21-19, 21-16 in their first-round clash.
Malaysia will have a third mixed doubles pair in the second round after Beh Chun Meng-Cheng Su Hui defeated Aram Mahmoud-Amy Tan of Netherlands 21-14, 19-21, 21-12 but there was no such luck for Goh Boon Zhe-Cheng Su Yin, who fell 20-22, 21-9, 17-21 to Polish sixth seeds Pawel Smilowski-Wiktoria Adamek.
Chun Meng-Su Hui are slated to face Pawel-Wiktoria in the next round.
It was also the end of the road for mixed doubles pair Tan Kok Xian-Wong Kha Yan when they went down 16-21, 17-21 to Maciel Matusz-Komelia Marczak of Poland in the opening round.
Meanwhile, Justin Hoh had an easy passage into the men’s singles second round when his opponent, Slovenia’s Milan Dravata, retired with the Malaysian leading 11-6.
Justin will next take on Indonesian Panji Ahmad Maulana, who had earlier eliminated Serbian Luca Milic 21-17, 21-16.
None of the Malaysian women shuttlers, however, were able to get past the first round after Khor Jing Wen lost 21-10, 12-21, 17-21 to Jenjira Stadelmann of Switzerland and Siti Nurshuhaini conceded a walkover to Spain’s Beatriz Corrales. ― Bernama
